sgofield



(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' L. SGOPIELD.

CORN PLANTER. No. 313,891. Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. SGOFIELD.

GOEN PLANTER.

No. 313,891. Patented Mar. 17,1885.

(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet L. SUOFIELD.

CORN PLANTER.

No. 313,891. A Patented Mar. 17,1885.

UNITED STATES aren't LEVI SGOFIELD, OF GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR-TO THE CHAL- LENGE CORN PLANTER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 313,891, dated March17, 1885.

Application filed November 11, 1884. (Model) T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI SconInLD, of Grand Haven, in the county ofOttawa and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gorn-Planters; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, andto the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My present invention relates particularly to improvements in theseed-plate actuating mechanism of corn-planters; and it has for itsobject to so construct such mechanism as that its parts can be verycheaply manufactured and put together with but little fitting up, and sothat when in operation the friction will. be reduced to the minimum.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of oneof the seedboxes of a corn-planter. Fig. 2 is a similar view of thesame,with the hopper and the bottom plate removed to show clearly theconstruction and arrangement of the improved seed-plate-actuatingmechanism. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the seed-box, showing a portionof the beam upon which it is mounted. The upper part of the hopper inthis view is broken away. Fig. 4 is a side view, and Fig. 5 a bottomview, of one of the actuating-pawls. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of thereciprocating swinging frame through which motion is imparted to thepawls and upon which the latter are preferably mounted.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicatethe sameparts.

A represents the plate or casting which forms the base of the seed-box,and serves to connect the latter rigidly to the beam A of the planter.This casting has horizontal flanges a a, which rest upon and are boltedto the beam, also upper flanges, a a which serve to guide theactuating-pawls in their movements, and angular flanges a a, to whichthe hopper of the seed-box is secured. It is further provided with ahorizontal bearing for the seed-plate G to rest'upon, a central stud, a,which forms a pivot for said seed- 50 plate torotate upon, and finallgwith a downweirdly-projecting tube or seedconductor, F. The seed-plate Ois provided with the usual seedapertures, f, and with the peripheralratchet-teeth c c, with which the actuatingpawls. D D co-operate. Thesepawls are preferably arranged at opposite corners of a reciprocatingswinging frame, H, and are by preference pivoted to the bolts G,whichserve to connect said swinging frame to the upper ends of bifurcatedarms or links E E, that bestride the beam,and are pivoted in turnthereto by bolts e, as shown in Fig. 3. Each of the pawls D is allowed afree vertical and a slight lateral play upon its pivot. On the side nextthe seed-plateit is provided with a projection or stop, d, for arrestingthe rotation of the seed-plate at the proper time, and between this stopand its outer end it is curved or beveled, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,for the purpose of causing it to be raised with. greater 0 facility bythe back of the teeth on the seedplate when the latter is rotated, aswill be further on explained.

In the operation of the machine the swinging frame His caused to vibrateback and forth 7 5 upon its bifurcated arms or links by means of anordinary connecting-rod, operated either by means of the dropper or by acheck-rowing attachment in the usual manner. When the frame swings inone direction,the forward end of one of the pawls, working in the spacebetween the seed-plate and the vertical flange a pushes against the faceof one of the ratchetteeth on the seed-plate, and causes a partialrotation of the seed-plate, while at the same 8 time the opposite orretracting pawl is struck I on its under curved or beveled surface bythe back of one of the other teeth of the seedplate, and is lifted upand held elevatedtill the tooth passes under, when it falls by grav- 9oity in front of the tooth in position to operate upon it when the frameis swung back in the opposite direction. The teeth on the seed plate areso arranged with relation to the actuating-pawls that just before theadvancing pawl (whichever it may be) that is in engagement with one ofthe teeth reaches the limit of its forward movement the end of the otherpawl drops off of the tooth which has raised it, ready to immediatelyco-operate with said tooth when the motion of the swinging frame isreversed,and,therefore, solong as theswinging frame continues tovibrate,the seed-plate is given a regular intermittent forward motion ofpositive character, so as to cause one or more of its filled orifices orpockets to deposit their contents into the depending seed-discharge tubeF. As each pawl reaches the limit of its forward movement the back ofthe next succeeding tooth to that on which it has operated moves upagainst the projection or stop at on its side, andv thus efi'ectuallyprevents the racing of the seed-plate, or, in other words, renders itimpossible for the momentum of the plate, due toits quick forwardimpulse, from carrying the seed orifices or pockets past thedischarge-port. By mounting the pawl-carrying frame upon the swingingarms or supports a freedom of motion is given the working parts, and thefriction is reduced to a minimum, being confined, principally,to the twocross-bolts e e, upon which the lower ends of the vibratory arms arepivoted. The bifurcation of the supporting-arms and causing them toembrace the beam prevents any lateral displacement of the parts when inoperation. So admirably, indeed, is this frame hung that its movement ineither direction is only required to be initiated, for as soon as thecenters of the supporting-arms are past the weight of the parts thereoncontinues or completes the movement. It sometimes happens that themovement imparted to the swinging frame in either direction by thedropper or check rope is only partial, and that, consequently, the endof the pawl which is next to advance is left behind instead of in frontof its corresponding tooth, the latter remaining under its curved orbeveled portion and in front of its projection or stop (1. It thereforebecomes necessary to provide against a deadlock that might be producedby the contact of the stop of the pawl with the end or point of thetooth upon the forward movement of the pawl, and this I do by bevelingthe forward and outer portionof the stop, as shown in Fig. 4 at d, sothat should thepoint of the tooth strike it it will be deflected to oneside, and thus preventastoppage of themechanism.

The form of swinging pawl-carrying frame is susceptible of an infinitenumber of modifications; but I prefer to employ a frame having the formand characteristics of the one shown in the drawings, and particularlyin Fig. 6. As will be seen by reference to the last-named figure, it isformed of a single casting with forks or bifurcations h h, for thereception of the pivoted ends ofthe pawls, and with openings h", for thepassage of the cross bolts G, which serve tojoint it to thesupporting-arms E. Itis also provided with astud, h for the attachmentof the operating connecting-bar, and with depending lugs h If, whichform a notch, into which is designed to project the upper end of thetip-valve, which makes the second or lower drop in planters of thisclass. Its shoulders k [L5 are adapted to co-operate with thecross-plate of the main casting A at opposite sides, and to serve asstops to limit the movement of the frame in both directions. -Whenconstructed in this form, the frame, by reason of its openness, leavesno surface upon which dust, dirt, or any foreign substance can findalodging-place and interfere with the working of the mechanism; moreover,no fitting up of the casting is required,except the reaming out of thebolt-holes, and the same bolts which serve to connect the frame with itssupports also serve as the pivots for the pawls.

It is' perfectly obvious that the parts might be pivoted to independentbearings located at any suitable point on the swinging frame, or thatthey might be mounted on the swinging arms instead of on the frame; but,as before stated, the construction hereinabove particularly described isdeemed preferable for the reasons given.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new is- 1. In acorn-planter, the combination, with a rotatable toothed seed -plate, ofactuatingpawls, a support for said pawls, and vertically-swinging armson which said support is mounted and vibrates, substantially asdescribed.

2. [n a corn-planter, the combination, with a rotatable toothedseed-plate, of oppositelyacting gravitating pawls, a support for saidpawls, and vertically-swinging arms, on which said support is mountedand vibrates, substantially as described.

3. In a corn-planter, the combination, with a rotatable toothed seedplate, of a horizontally-Vibrating frame mounted upon and connectingvertically-swinging arms, and 0ppositely-acting gravitating pawlscarried by said frame for co-operating with said toothed seed-plate,substantially as described.

4. In a corn-planter, the combination, with a rotatable toothedseed-plate, of the beam,

vertically-swinging arms pivoted to said beam below the seed-plate, aframe mounted on said swinging arms, and a pair of oppositely-actinggravitating pawls carried by said frame, substantially as described.

5. In the herein-described corn-planter, the combination of thevertically-swinging supports, the horizontall y-vibratin g frame, andthe gravitating actuating-pawls having the stops on their sides with therotatable toothed seedplate, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the rotatable toothed seed-plate, of thevibrating gravitating pawls having stops which at one side are flat, forarresting the teeth after full movements 7 I of the pawls, and atv theother side are inclined 7 or beveled, as at d, for the purpose of prethepivots of the pawls and as the means for venting the locking of theteeth when partial connecting the frame to the supports, substan- 10movements only of the pawls occur, substantially as described.

tiaily as described. I LEVI SCOFIELD. 5 7. The combination,withtherotatable seed- Nitnesses:

plate, of the horizontally-vibrating frame, its GEO. STIOKNEY,

vertical swinging supports, the gravitating J. W. HOPKINS.

pawls, and the crossbolts, which serve both for

